I’m particularly excited to share a fun DIY project with you today, to kick off the week, because it’s a quick and effective one… You can’t go wrong! In fact, the results are also comparable to what you can find in the design stores. I’m always on a look out for interesting objects that could be repurposed and transformed into something else. I look at everything with curious eyes, “Hmmmm… What could this become?”. This time I tried using my imagination with wooden furniture legs. I spotted them in a local hardware store and instantly fell in love with their shape. I knew they could become something fun and useful and then, the idea of candle holders came to mind.

Agata Dimmich for decor8

What I really like about them is that they are stylish but don’t try to look too fancy. They are great both for special occasions like holidays and birthdays, and casual Saturday dinners with friends. I like the look of raw wood, however if you prefer more finished look, you can paint them in your favorite colors. I kept two raw and painted one with white paint. Continue Reading…

Hi everyone! It’s Rachel and this month I’m sharing a super simple, but impressive White Chocolate and Passionfruit Cheesecake. This recipe was inspired by my recent trip to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland (on the East Coast of Australia) a couple of weeks ago with my family. We stayed right on Marcoola Beach and enjoyed a week that felt much like summer. The sun in the Northern parts of Australia rises and sets quite differently to how it does in Melbourne, and it would poke its rays above the horizon just a little after 5.30am. I am usually not a morning person, but the lure of golden rays dancing over the breaking waves at dusk was just too enticing. Every morning I strolled down to the beach with my camera in hand and soaked up the sun as it shone on my face. I watched the surfers catch a break or two before they headed to work, fisherman trying their luck knee deep in the surf and others just simply there to enjoy the sound of the ocean.

Rachel Korinek for decor8

This recipe was inspired by that and I’d like to show you how to make it. But first, for the passionfruit topping, you can either use fresh passionfruit, (maybe you even have some growing in your garden?), or you can opt for the quick and dirty passionfruit pulp with syrup in a can. The tinned variety will spread easier onto the top of the cake, however a little bit of orange juice added to fresh pulp should help break it up a little. A thin layer will look more appealing for serving. Continue Reading…

Hey readers, how are you? I always love when I get fan mail, especially from a part of the world that I know well since I was raised in South Carolina… I heard from a lovely designer from the south, only in Nashville, who wanted to share her home with me and of course, all of you. After checking it out, I instantly agreed because it’s colorful, happy, family-friendly and filled with gorgeous pattern and texture. I also spotted a ton of great decor ideas so as you study each photo, try to play interiors editor in your mind and pull out a few ideas that you spot. Principal interior designer Jessica Davis and her team are creative minds behind the thriving JL Design firm, a residential and commercial interior design company with a special focus on creating functional, interesting spaces in chic contemporary and retro styles, blending both style and comfort. If I could put “the south” into a box I would title it “style and comfort” now that I think of it because southern homes are known for being very stylish, whether it be over-the-top old south or a more modern preppy style, it’s still got a certain gloss that feels so very southern. Comfort is another hallmark of southern design. Texture, lush materials, squashy seating, lounging on the front porch in a hammock… See what I mean?

So let’s get started with this ginormous home tour today. I asked interior designer and homeowner Jessica to walk us through each room and share what she loves and so I’ve inserted her comments below. The photos were all taken by Leslee Mitchell. There are many photos below so grab a cup of tea and relax for a moment as you’re about to go on a little journey into a sunny and very charming family space. Oh and make sure you check Jessica out in her roller skates. That is definitely my favorite photo from the bunch! Continue Reading…

April is here! Hello dear decor8 readers, this is Anke with some fresh tabletop ideas for you today. I am already dreaming of relaxing on a green summer meadow which is why I’ve decided to create a green garland for my table theme this month. Everything else was inspired by my garland which was made using several branches of my all-time favorite eucalyptus and shepherd’s purse along with white wax flowers and tender pink flowering boronia anemonifolia (called “Duftsternchen” here in Germany).

Anke Illner for decor8

But first things first – I wove a long braid out of raffia which served as a basis. Next, I attached the shorter branches and flowers in small bundles, overlapping them as I secured to the raffia with wire. I suggest choosing flowers that can do without water for a few hours, otherwise your garland may look wilted once guests arrive! This is one reason why I use and suggest eucalyptus as a base. In the image above I have shown it on my wall but you can also lay it down the center of your table as you can see below. Continue Reading…

I realized today that my blog lost a little of that special something when I stopped blogging so much about the products I love. I dunno, I just stopped and the blog changed focus from being largely product and home tour driven to a tighter and more reliable format of stories you can count on each week from DIY to recipes and yeah, still home tours… And you guys love those stories and so do I…. But what about products – like the things I love and find and can’t stop talking about to my friends during coffee breaks on weekends? That’s the stuff I want to know about and see so why wouldn’t you? So each week I will have a shop post like this one where I highlight a great find that deserves to be in the spotlight. This week, it’s colorful affordable art by American artist Leslie Weaver (mostly originals!) that I’m deliriously crushing on. Take a look…

You can buy her work in her etsy shop, so definitely head over there to see her dozens of works. Here are some more of my favorites from her portfolio below…

I love wallpaper! All who know me well knows that is a fact. That’s why I’d like to tell you about my little visit to French wallpaper atelier Bien Fait (“well made” in French) in Paris recently. It was such a nice time spent chatting one-on-one with owner and founder, Cécile Figuette, while my dear colleague and friend, Toni Vinther, chatted with her partner Nicolas. Together, we learned so much about their special process in creating over-scale patterned wallpaper made to order. This means that it is 100% bespoke if you need it to be. Some elements of the pattern can move around according to the wishes of the homeowner or designer. For instance, if you want a bed in a certain place in a room, you can ask Cécile to create the paper so that the pattern fits around the bed… Maybe you want a tree a little to the left or right so that it can be viewed clearly on one side of the bed versus hidden behind the headboard. Now that’s amazing service right there. I love the idea!

Holly Becker for decor8

Cécile designs nearly all of the patterns herself, and whenever they are printed (she prints everything locally at the moment) she goes to personally check to see that everything is up to spec. This lady is so inspiring to me because she is not only a remarkable business woman with a great head on her shoulders for running a wallpaper firm, but she is a creative, artistic soul who loves to do work that speaks to her heart. And she’s a mom!!! That’s even more impressive to me now when I meet women with kids than it was before I became a mom.

Cécile clearly has a genuine passion for interiors, in fact I’ll share some photos from her home at the bottom of this post so you can see what I mean. But first, a few photos that Toni and took in her 70 sq meter studio located in Village Saint Paul that opens onto the street and boasts a sunny courtyard.

By the way… In the photo above, you can see the wildly popular Animals pattern that my friend Emily Henderson has in her son Charlie’s bedroom out in LA. This is a Bien Fait wallpaper that Emily had ordered and shipped all the way to California because she loved it so much. Whenever I see this pattern, I immediately think of Emily and sweet little Charlie! Continue Reading…

About

I’m Holly Becker, and I work as a journalist, author and interior stylist with a 4th book soon to release this September. On decor8, I share decorating ideas, trends and beautiful objects and places - those extra special finds, often made by hand, things that tell a story. I'm lucky enough to travel frequently so I record my many adventures here, too. Together with my small team, we present daily content to enlighten and inspire. Welcome and happy decor8ing!

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